HIGH SCHOOL 



Social Center 



HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE 
SOCIAL AND RECREATION WORK OF 

THE 

LASALLE-PERU TOWNSHIP 
HIGH SCHOOL 



LA SALLE. PERU, OGLESBY. 
ILLINOIS 




F. W. MATTHIESSEN 
(1835-1918) 



HIGH SCHOOL 



Social Center 



HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE 
SOCIAL AND RECREATION WORK OF 

THE 

LA SALLE-PERU TOWNSHIP 

HIGH SCHOOL 



LA SALLE. PERU, OGLESBY, 
ILLINOIS 



u"^*;!^' 



V 



Personnel and Population 

Township High School Board of Education 

George A. Wilson, Sr., President 
W. J. Clancy H. E. Hackman 

John R. Young W. T. Bedford 

Thomas N. Haskins, Secretary. 

Social Center Staff 

Thomas J. McCormack, M. A., LL.B Principal of High School 

J. Wyatt Marrs, M. A Social Center Director 

Alice R. Greene Instructor for Women and Girls 

Vincent A. Kogoski Assistant for Men's and Boys' Work 

Katherine Schalla Matron and Swimming Instructor 

Allen Vohs Attendant 

Fred Lakin Attendant 

Myron Kirsch Attendant. 

John Marshall Attendant 

George Hansen Attendant 

Albert Hasse Attendant 

Donald Harvey Attendant 

Lawson Lindsay Attendant 

Mildred Baker Attendant 

Wilda Vroman Attendant 

Mildred Gmeiner Attendant 

J ames Flannery Caretaker 

Population {1920) 

La Salle 13,050 Oglerfby 4,135 

Peru 8,869 La Salle-Peru Township 28,133 

Some Nationalities (Estimated) 

Polish 6,000 Italian 700 

Other Slavic Races 4,000 Greeks 200 

School Attendance 

La Salle Public 1485 La Salle Parochial 1234 

Peru Public 803 Peru Parochial 847 

Oglesby Public 905 Township High School 551 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

RECEIVED 



.itoMSiisMimsamm 



A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



Introduction 

The first published description of tlie Avork of the Town- 
ship High Scliool Social Center of La Salle, Peru and Oglesby 
was issued in October, 1915, just a 3-car and six months after 
the establishment of the Center. This original description 
attained wide circulation and attracted considerable attentioii 
from educators, social workers and students of civic prob- 
lems. The present publication contains, like its predecessor, 
the history of the institution, but aims further to describe and 
to characterize the work, now nearly eight years old. 

That work presents many points of significant interest — 
especially in its method of financial support and in the forma- 
tive effects W'hich it has had upon similar institutions as well 
as in the educational influences whicli it has radiated to this 
and to neighboring communities. 

The institution originated in the constructive civic 
imagination of the late Mr. F. W. Malthiessen, Avho, for many 
years having been pressed to establish a Y. M. C. A. in La 
Salle, and recognizing that the usefulness of such an institu- 
tion in this particular community would have been impaired 
by its corporate liistorical character, consequently decided to 
establish the required machinery for ])opular recreational work 
in connection with a recognized public educational institu- 
tion representing all three cities. Li order to assure the con- 
tinued interest of the i)ublic in the work and to perpetuate the 
existence of the Social Center as a permanent part of the 
political structure of the community, the condition of the 
donation of the Center was that it should be supported by 
public taxation. 

The history of this movement is given in detail in the 
text. In any event, the present description, in addition to its 
value as information to educators and social workers, will 
partly take the form of a memorial to the civic genius of its 
founder, Mr. Matthiessen; and to make this tribute both con- 
crete and emphatic the editors have published in an appendix 
the descriptive and eulogistic article which Mr. Graham F. 
Taylor wrote on Mr. Matthiessen for the October 1914 
number of The Survey. Here the reader will find briefly out- 
lined the story of Mr. Matthiessen's life and of his construe- 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 



tive civic career. Further descriptions of Mr. Matthiessen's 
foundations and contributions to our community life will be 
found in the Annual Reports of the Hygienic Institute, with 
its elaborate associated activities, which Mr. Matthiessen 
founded and endowed, and in the publications on the La Salle 
Peru Township High School issued by the U. S. Bureau of 
Education (Bulletin, 1917, No. 35, and Rural School Letter 
No. 21, June 13, 1914; see also Bulletin No. 4 of Bureau of 
Memorial Buildings, War Camp Community Service, 124 E. 
28th St., New York City.) Persons further interested in the 
social work of the Tri-Cities may be referred to the activities 
of the Tri-Cities Associated Charities, the administrative ex- 
penses of which, with a large part of the sustaining expenses, 
arc defrayed by the entrance receipls to Deer Park, a part of 
the Matthiessen estate; to the Social Department of the West- 
ern Clock Company, I-.a Salle-Peru, Illinois; to the La Salle 
City Playground Association with its history of Hegeler Park; 
to the voluntary Sewing and Industrial Schools of La Salle, 
Peru and Oglesby; to the activities of the Washington Park 
Playground of Peru, Illinois; and to the Women's Clubs of 
Ihc three cities. 

Nearly all the preceding Avork began as the Avork of vol- 
untary associations, aftcrAvards to bo partly incorporated by 
law into the fixed ])olitical taxing structure of the community, 
lliis is usuall^^ the liistory of democratic progress. Progress 
begins Avitli small voluntary organizations and is then finally 
made part of the automatic machhiery of the state. Thus 
tlie story of the activities descri])cd or referred to in this 
])amplilel Avill be found to form an instructive chapter in 
the liislorA' of the methods b^'^ AAdiich Democracy realizes it- 
self. 

As to tlie financial meclianism bA' Avhich the Social Center 
and the public athletic grounds of the Township High School 
are sunported it Avill be interesting io note that Avhile the 
funds for the buildings and the ecfuiimient Avere furnished by 
a private donor, yet the upkeen of the plant is provided for 
by public taxation from the High School educational fund, 
and that these taxes, representing the annual expenditure for 
the sunport of the Social Center, are equal to the interest on 
a fund as large as the original donation. The educational laAvs 
of the State of Illinois have made possible this extension of 
the facilities of the existing educational iTiachiner3\ 

A few Avords remain to be said regarding the AAdder 
educational influence of the Center. 

The immediate beneficent results of the activities of the 
La Salle-Peru Township High School Social Center Avill be 



A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



apparent to the most superficial reader of this pamphlet. 
These spring even to the untutored eye. But there are deeper 
and ulterior effects of tremendous import, not capable 
of being measured or weighed, unseen in their development, 
but ultimately forming the foundations on which the whole 
spiritual superstructure of civilization is erected. 

The education of a community proceeds not only through 
the direct activities of institutions formally devoted to this 
end, but also by the more subtle process of sociological dif- 
fusion. The ideas disseminated by a given institution affect 
first onty the small group of individuals immediately attack- 
ed. At the start the effects appear to be feeble and incon- 
spicuous. But the individuals affected, or as we may say, to 
use a medical similic, infected, act as carriers of these ideas 
and transmit by a species of intellectual and spiritual con- 
tagion the beneficent contamination they have received to all 
their associates. They act as foci for the spread of the new 
ideas, whether in education, citizenship, hygiene, recreation, 
or what not, and unconsciously pro]:)agate with hundred-foltl 
efficiency the influences we fancied originally moulded the 
conduct of only a few. There is a contagion of excellence as 
well as a contamination of evil, and the laws of sociological 
imitation, which cause individuals to mimic one another in 
their thought and conduct, care for it that the good we im- 
plant with our imperfect educational machinery in a few is 
transmitted with automatic certainty to increasingly larger 
groups. The little pebble that we cast on the limitless expanse 
of the great social water makes a slight impact, but its effect 
is progagated by known sociological laws in increasingly 
wider and wider circles to the farthermost bounds. This is 
the saving thought of all educational and welfare activity. 
Without it we should sink into irrevocable pessimism. TIk^. 
new welfare-institutions of this community, powerful and 
splendid as they are for so small a group of people, would 
otherwise be impotent, and the scratches that even with them 
we feebly make on the hardened surface of the great body 
politic would without its aid never sink into the hidden and 
sullen depths. In this thought the rankest disaffection may 
swallow solace, and the gloomiest pessimism see some light. 

It could be easily estimated that four such plants as the 
present High School Social Center would be requisite to meet 
fully the recreational and communily needs of the whole 
population of this Township. But at present this is financiallv 
and politically undreamable. A similar estimate, slightly 
modified, would be applicable to most of the other institu- 
tions above referred to. The extension of the full benefits of 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 



these institutions, therefore, to all the people, even if all the 
people were disposed in will and mind to receive them, must 
ultimately he left to the slow operation of the laws of socio- 
logical imilalion and conlacl. All are called, hut not all suh- 
mit to be chosen. 

Numerous other subtle benefits to community thought 
and action might be attributed to the operation of these 
agencies. The very opposition that some of them arouse 
in stagnant and reactionary circles, the very quarrels and 
brawls that some of their activities have evoked, are of im- 
mense educational value, and have unconsciously illumined 
even the minds of their opponents, l^road-visioned men and 
women wdll see in these su[)erticial ripples only the operation 
of a power making for greater enliglilenment. Petty struggle 
and battle are the machinery by which democracy acquires 
repose for its idterior ends. The machinery, by its very 
creaking, finds and adjusts itself. 

The retroactive effects, further, of the recreational and 
community work of the High School Center, through its im- 
mediate benefits to children and adults not belonging to the 
school-group, are of incalculable value for the forming of a 
public opinion and sentiment favorable to the source from 
which those benefits emanate. Not only does the sense-satis- 
faction imparted by these activities to groups of individuals 
that might otherwise be disaffected or alienated react salutarily 
in the direction indicated, but the acquaintance thus uncon- 
sciously acquired under pleasant associations with an institu- 
tion of higher learning aulomalically results in the moulding 
of a sound public feeling in supi)()rl and approval of an agency 
that incidentally dispenses these benefits. And so Democracy 
again accomplishes, by reversion upon itself, its purposes. 

Many other collateral results might be cited as evidence 
of the wide-spread beneficence of the activities here catalogued. 
But it will suffice to indicate the principal tendencies. The 
more palpable of those left unmentioned will occur to the 
most casual reader. 

The pamphlet itself has been compiled for the informa- 
tion of educators and workers in the municipal and social ser- 
vice fields. The text has been \\'riltcn by the director of the 
Social Center, Mr. J. AVyall Marrs. I^ut man^^ unnamed, in 
years long past and in many places, have made contributions 
to the work fully equal to the laboi- of those who appear 
officially in the titles; and none more effectively than Mr. 
George A. Wilson, Sr., president of the La Salle-Peru Town- 
ship Board of Education, who has given years of quiet and 
unrequited labor to the consummation of a task before which 



10 A HIGH SCHOOL, SOCIAL CENTER 

even the hardiest spirits might have quailed. All successful 
social and civic work is impersonal. Individuals are its mere 
passing agents. The real author is the creative heart of the 
community, inarticulate and seeking no reward of honor. 

THOMAS J. McCORMACK. 

La Salle, Illinois, September, 1921. 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 11 



History and Maintenance 

The La Sallc-Pcru Township Social Center at La Salle, 
Illinois, was made possible by the munificence of the late F. 
W. Matthiessen of La Salle. The offer of a recreation build- 
ing was made on the condition that the community would 
maintain it. In a special election the proposition was sub- 
mitted to the voters of the township and w^as almost unanim- 
ously accepted. As a result, in 1914 a building was erected 
adjacent to the Township High School at the north and con- 
nected wdth it by a covered passage. At the same time, the 
gymnasium on the ground floor of the high school building 
was converted into a modern, commodious auditorium, and 
the old High School structure in part remodelled and com- 
pletely renovated. These reconstructions, which included also 
a new central boiler house and heating plant, with new venti- 
lating and humidifying apparatus, made necessary a total 
outlay of over $100,000, of which $25,000 was covered by a 
public bond issue. 

The grounds on which the new building, athletic field and 
playground stand were also donated by Mr. Matthiessen, who 
himself did much of the planning. The athletic grounds were 
graded at Mr. Matthiessen's expense and represent possibly 
an additional outlay of some $25,000. Mr. Matthiessen gave 
originally $75,000 for the erection of the Recreation Build- 
ing, and later donated further funds for an outdoor swimming 
pool. This was followed by a sum of about $32,000 for the 
erection of an addition to the Recreation Building, and just 
before his death by $40,000 for a second remodeling of the 
High School Building. ITie Township Board of Education 
also made considerable contributions to the new enterprise, 
and the citizens donated money for the erection of a concrete 
grand-stand on the athletic field costing $2,500. 

The cost ofmaintaining the Social Center is borne entirely 
by the Township Board of Education, which is an educational 
taxing body representing the cities of La Salle, Peru and 
Oglesby and the country districts, or Congressional Township 
Number 33, Range 1, N. E., with a total population of 28,133. 
The cost of maintaining the Center is approximately $9,000 
a year, which sum is paid out of the high school educational 
funds. The Social Center is essentially a part of the High 



12 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

School and no attempt is made to make it self-supporting. 
However, the activities, in large part, pay for themselves, and 
the rental fees collected for the use of the party room and 
gymnasium cover practically all of the incidental expenses. 

Advantages of Combining a Social Center with the High School 
The advantages of this combination of a community 
center with the high school arc obvious. In the first place, 
the building and equipment are used continuously from early 
in the morning until late at night. During the morning and 
early afternoon the gymnasium, swimming pool and dressing 
rooms are used by high school classes, and at noon high school 
students use the gymnasium, reception room, reading and 
game rooms. From 3:30 P. M. to 10:00 or 12:00 P. M., the 
building is open to the public. The High School and Social 
Center both use the same athletic grounds. 

A second advantage is the fact that members of the Social 
Center staff can also serve as high school teachers. The 
director teaches economics and sociology in the high school 
and together with his assistant has charge of the high school 
boys' gymnasium classes. The instructor for women and 
girls teaclies the high school girls' gymnasium classes. The 
matron and swimming instructor teaches high school girls 
as well as women and grade school girls. 

Another important advantage is the fact that the older 
high school boys and girls can be used as Social Center attend- 
ants. About fifteen of these students are employed. They are 
paid twenty cents an lioiir for the time they are actually em- 
ployed. This amount, small as it is, often enables deserving 
students to remain in school when otherwise they would be 
forced to leave. However, these attendants are selected not 
because of their need, but because of their fitness for the 
work. 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 13 



A Brief Survey of the Tri-Cities 

The three cities of La Salle, Peru and Oglesby are very 
interesting from an historic standpoint; but of greater import- 
ance in considering present-day conditions is the industrial 
aspect of the district. It is from this angle that much light 
can be shed upon the recreational needs of the community. 
The three cities are typical industrial centers, each presenting 
most of the intricate problems of industrialism. Moreover, 
the majority of the industries are such as demand unskilled 
labor, which accounts in the main for the large number of 
immigrants that have come into the three cities. The re- 
creational problem, however, is made much easier by the fact 
that there are no negroes. Briefly the industries located in 
the township are: three cement mills, two zinc smelting 
works, a well-known clock factory, a plow and wheel factory, 
a chemical works, and a number of coal mines together with 
many smaller manufacturing concerns. However, the dis- 
trict is not entirely industrial; La Salle County boasts of a 
most fertile soil and according to the 1920 census is the fifth 
richest agricultural county in the United States. 

As a result of this demand for unskilled labor, the mills 
and factories have always competed successfully against the 
schools, and the school mortality rate is exceedingly high. 
The demand for recreation has been particularly strong 
among this group of boys and girls, who have left school as 
soon as the law allowed. Until the establishment of the Social 
Center, however, no attempt had ever been made by the public 
to provide recreation, supervised or otherwise, either for 
adults or children. As a result commercial recreation grew 
and flourished, with little attention being paid to its character. 



14 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



Opening and Growth 

The Social Center was formally opened on May 21, 1914 
by Governor Dunne. Since its opening the Center has grown 
naturally and spontaneously along lines best suited to local 
conditions, and under the watchful guidance and assistance 
of a trained staff, the Principal of the High School and a 
special committee of the Township Board of Education. 
From the start eveiy effort has been made toward perfecting 
a well-rounded recreation center for the community. The 
natural expression of the people has been sought and stimu- 
lated so that the acti\dtics of the Center would really be the 
activities of the people and not something superimposed from 
the outside. 

From the beginning the people took an enthusiastic 
interest in the Social Center. Much education was necessary, 
however, for the idea of the wider use of the school was 
strangely new. A policy of wide publicity has been followed 
consistently in the belief that if pays to advertise in public 
recreation work just as surely as it does in any business 
endeavor. 

This campaign has been carried on through every avail- 
able agency. Probably first in importance has been the co- 
operation accorded by the three daily newspapers. A most 
cordial relationship has existed from the inception of tlie 
work between the Center and the editors, and free space has 
always been at the disposal of the Center both for announcing 
approaching activities and for recording events as they occur. 
Probably next in importance has been the co-operation of 
the schools, both public and parochial. Whatever success may 
have attended the juvenile activities of the Center (and con- 
siderable attention has been paid to this phase of the work) 
must be attributed, in great measure, to the spirit of co-oper- 
ation displayed by the schools. The acquaintance of the adults 
with the Center, has, in many cases, come through the chil- 
dren who took home the first news of its existence. Then the 
fact that the clergy of the three cities have put their stamp 
of approval upon the work has been the means of bringing 
many young people and adults to the Center. The various 
factory and mill superintendents have also lent their assist- 
ance by placing placards containing announcements and 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 15 

schedules in conspicuous places in their plants. It is of 
interest to note in this connection, that many of the employers 
are beginning to realize that the use of leisure time has a 
definite bearing upon the use to which their employees will 
put their hours of work, and that the men and women who 
spend their leisure in healthful recreation are more likely to 
be efficient than the employees whose leisure is spent in more 
questionable ways. 

Co-operation with the Tri-City Health Department 
(Hygienic Institute) and the Tri-city Associated Charities has 
yielded results of mutual significance. The Health Depart- 
ment has been especially helpful through solving problems of 
sanitation, particularly in regard to the swimming pools, by 
examining swimmmcrs to detect weak hearts and communic- 
able diseases, and by administering First Aid in cases of 
accidents that are too serious for the Social Center officials 
to take care of. 

Mention should also be made of the help given by the 
women of the tri-cities, especially by the members of the 
La Salle Women's Club, the Women's Club of Peru and the 
Oglcsby Women's Club. The Commercial Associations of the 
three cities, lodges, clubs and various civic organizations have 
shown their interest by presenting trophies for juvenile com- 
petition in the Grade and Parochial School Athletic Associa- 
tion. And especially helpful has been the spirit of co-oper- 
ation exhibited by individual business men and merchants. 
Not once when recmested has assistance been refused, and 
while the fmancial help so offered has materially aided the 
progress of the work, the moral support implied has been 
unquestionably greater. 



16 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



Building and Equipment 

The Social Center Recreation Building includes a large 
gymnasium, an indoor swimming pool, a men's club room, 
a large party room, reading and silent game rooms, a meeting 
room, and an auditorium. In addition there is a director's 
office, an apparatus room, four large locker and dressing 
rooms together with five toilet rooms. Outdoors there is a 
large athletic field, a playground, an outdoor swimming pool 
and three tennis courts. 

The Gymnasium 

The most popular feature of the Recreation Building is 
the gymnasium, which is 53x106 feet. It contains a playing 
space for basketball 37x70 feet, an indoor baseball diamond 
and two volley ball courts. About twelve feet above the floor 
is the balcony, which is used both for spectators and as a 
running track. No part of the basketball court is underneath 
the galler3^ The gymnasium equipment is quite complete and 
consists of a piano, two parallel bars, one horse, two bucks, 
two horizontal bars, one horizontal ladder, a trapeze, travel- 
ing rings, flying rings, a punching bag platform, a swinging 
boom, stall-bars, a giant stride, two ropes and one pole for 
climbing, two score-boards and movable bleachers. The 
equipment also includes wands, Indian clubs, dumb-bells, 
equipment for two volley ball courts, jumping and vaulting 
apparatus, eight medicine balls, ten mats, balance rails, spring- 
boards, and paraphernalia for tug-of-war, shot put and for 
various games. The Social Center owns in common with the 
Hygienic Institute special apparatus for physical measure- 
ments, such as an anthroi^ometric scale, a stadiometcr, a spiro- 
meter, a manuometer, a dynamometer and chest and shoulder 
calipers. Adjoining the gymnasium is an apparatus room 
where the movable aparatus is stored when not in use. 

The rental fee of the gymnasium for independent basket- 
ball and indoor baseball games is fifty per cent of the nf^t re- 
ceipts, with a minimum of five dollars and a maximum of 
fifteen dollars. When the gymnasium is used for a public 
dance, the fee is ten dollars. 




THE SOCIAL CENTER RECREATION BUILDING 




AN INDOOR BASEBALL GAME 



18 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



The Indoor Swimming Pool and Showers 
Downstairs, beneath the gymnasmm, is the swimming 
pool which is 25x60 feet. The depth of the water varies from 
three feet to nearly eight feet. Every Saturday afternoon the 
pool is emptied, thoroughly cleaned, and fresh water run in. 
All bathers are required to take shower baths before entering 
the pool. The bacteriologist of the Hygienic Institute makes 
occasional tests of the water, and every effort is made to keep 
the pool reasonably free from contamination. A chlorinator 
and filter system are now being installed. 

Along the east side of the pool are eight dressing booths 
and eight showers. 

Locker and Dressing Rooms 
Adjoining the pool is the locker-cage, which contains 
locker-boxes arranged in rows and numbered according to 
the Kansas City system. This arrangement provides a small 
locker-box for every person using the gymnasium or pool, 
and in this box is kept the owner's athletic clothing. Open- 
ing into the natatorium are three large dressing rooms 
equipped with steel lockers and benches. 

The Towel System 
Bath towels are provided for all who care to use them. 
A deposit of fifty cents is required to cover the cost of the 
towel and to insure its return; a towel ticket good for twenty 
towels is sold for twenty-five cents. This ticket is kept on 
file at the locker cage, and every time a towel is taken the 
ticket is punched, and punched again to show the return of 
the towel. A refund is made on the deposit and unused por- 
tions of the ticket on demand. A soap vending machine pro- 
vides soap at a cost of one cent. 

The Men's Club Room 

Across the hall from the natatorium is a room 20x26 feet, 
equipped for a men's club room. This room is practically 
fire-proof, and is the only place in the building where smok- 
ing is permitted. In the afternoons the room is used as a 
gaine room for boys, but no boj^s are admitted in the evening. 

When the building was erected, a room downstairs, 
16x86 feet, was reseiwed for a Dowling alley; but this plan 
was finally abandoned and the room is to be partitioned off 
into a store-room, a drying room for bathing suits, and a 
dressing room for the women attendants. The electric ex- 
haust fan which ventilates the entire building is located at 
the end of this room. 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESB Y, ILLINOIS 19 

The Reception Room 
The Reception Room, which is 30x48 feet, is located up- 
stairs in the new addition to tlie building. It has a small 
cloak room adjoining, and a kitchenette equipped with a gas 
range, sink, table, cupboards and kitchen utensils. There are 
sufficient knives, forks, spoons and dishes for a party of fifty. 
The equipment of the Reception Room also includes a piano, 
a phonograph, a tea cart, six card tables and about sixty 
chairs. This room is easily the most beautiful part of the 
Social Center. It is artistically decorated, and the walls are 
a neutral tint, making it an ideal setting for art exhibitions 
as well as dances and parties. The rental fee for this room 
is one dollar up to ten o'clock, and a dollar for each additional 
hour until twelve o'clock when the room must be vacated. 
On special occasions the time may be extended to one o'clock 
by arranging beforehand wdth the Director. 

The Reading Room and Silent Game Room 
The Reading Room is also located in the new addition, 
and, like the Reception Room, is beautifully decorated. This 
room has been made as attractive as possible; it was furnished 
by the classes of 1911 and 1914 with the best of library fur- 
niture, the walls are hung with copies of several famous pic- 
tures, and trophy cups and shields add to its attractiveness. 
The Reading Room is equipped with three large reading 
tables, a newspaper rack, a magazine rack, an atlas stand, 
a bulletin board, an attendant's desk, book shelves and about 
forty chairs. More than twenty popular magazines and per- 
iodicals, several newspapers and a growing collection of books 
on all topics for all ages and sexes furnish adequate reading 
material for those who crowd the room. 

Opening into the Reading Room and serving as a sort of 
annex is the Quiet Game Room. This room is equipped with 
chairs and small tables, and a large built-in cabinet in which 
games and supplies are stored. None but quiet games, such 
as chess, checkers and dominoes arc allowed. The fact that 
these two rooms are connected by a large opening makes it 
possible for one attendant to supervise both. 

The Lecture Room 
One of the High School class-rooms, located on the third 
floor of the Social Center Building, is used as a lecture-room 
or meeting-room. This is a large and beautiful room, equip- 
ped with a piano aiid having a seating capacity of seventy-five. 
There are so many different groups and organizations using 
the Social Center as headquarters that the demand for a meet- 



20 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

ing-room is very great, and often it is necessary to use other 
high school classrooms for this purpose. 

Director's Office and Miscellaneous 
In addition to the rooms and equipment already men- 
tioned, the Social Center Building contains a Director's otfice, 
adequate drinking fountains, lavatories, toilets and janitors' 
closets. 

The Auditorium 
The auditorium is located on the ground floor of the 
main high school huilding and has an independent entrance 
to the street. It has a seating capacity of over six hundred, 
and is modelled after the Little Theatre of New York City. 
The large stage contains four complete sets of scenes and a 
handsome silk-velour draw curtain donated b}^ the classes of 
1912, 1913, 1918 and 1919. There are also three pianos, one 
donated by the orchestra, one by the class of 1917, and one, 
a new Mason and Hamlin grand, bought by the classes of 1921 
and 1922, which is used only for concerts and special occas- 
ions. The auditorium can be used by any organization or 
group for a nominal fee to cover the cost of light and janitor 
service. 

Matthiessen Athletic Field and Playground 
In connection with the Social Center Building there is a 
large Athletic Field of eleven acres. The field includes a five- 
lap cinder track, a baseball diamond, a football field, and 
jumping and vaulting pits. On the south side of the field is 
a concrete grand-stand with a seating capacity of five hundred. 
It is equipped with a drinking fountain and men's and 
women's toilets. Nearby are two tennis courts. 

Adjoining the Athletic Field, which is used mainly by 
men and older boys, and which has been named in honor of 
its donor, Mr. Matthiessen, is the Playground for the use of the 
smaller boys and girls. The playground is simply equipped 
and includes a baseball diamond, and basketball and volley 
ball courts. 

The Outdoor Swimming Pool 
Conveniently near the athletic grounds is the outdoor 
swimming pool, which is the most enjoyed of all the outdoor 
features. The dimensions of this pool are 50x100 feet, and 
the depth of the water varies from two to eight feet. The bath- 
house contains an attendants' office, showers, toilets, a store 
room, twenty dressing booths and lockers for one hundred 
people. 




THE OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL 




THE TENNIS COURTS AND ATHLETIC FIELD 



22 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



Social Center Activities 

It is practically impossible to give a clear and compre- 
hensive account of the activities that are carried on by the 
Social Center, because of the fact that they are necessarily of 
such a changing nature. This is particularly true of the 
strictly non-athletic activities. Each runs its course, plays 
out in interest, and nuist be followed by another. The success 
of any activity depends largely upon the enthusiasm, endur- 
ance and creative power of the instructor, but also upon the 
whims of the public, the weather, and the athletic and social 
fashions of the day. 

One factor that has been resposible for the relatively small 
participation of older groups is the distance of the Center 
from the main residential and business sections. This dis- 
advantage of location has naturally operated, more or less, 
against non-athletic activities, for it is from among the older 
people that the majority of non-athletic groups of commun- 
ity activities are recruited. On the other hand, the Social 
Center has always attracted large numbers of the younger 
people, especially young men and boys. And with the wonder- 
ful facilities for athletics in all its forms, the emphasis has 
naturall}' been placed upon athletic activities. Organization 
has followed the line of popular interest. 

It is difficult to estimate the benefits that the public 
derives from the Social Center. For the most part they are 
of a very intangible nature. It is easy enough, for example, 
to see the wonderful physical development of the boys and 
young men who have taken advantage of the gymnasium 
and other athletic facilities over a period of time, or to 
understand the advantages of warm shower baths to people 
who are unaccustomed to bath tubs. It is more difficult to 
estimate the amount of good that is being done in the way 
of Americanization and socialization indirectly through 
sports and games, or to appreciate the educational advantages 
derived from the reading room, lectures and exhibits of 
various kinds. Certain it is that the Social Center fills a real 
need, and it is significant that the only discipline or punish- 
ment ever found necessary for misconduct or a breach of the 
rules is temporar>^ suspension from the building and grounds. 




Folk Dancing Class of Grade and Parochial School Girls. 
Meetings bi-weekly. 




Story Telling Class for smaller grade and parochial school girls. 
In these classes High School girls who are taking the Teachers' Course 
do the story telling. These classes have been imitated in the playgrounds 
throughout tho entire district. 




First Aid Class for adults and young men. Given by the officers of 
the Illinois State Mine Rescue Station. This instruction was also given 
to high school students as well as to citizens. Home Nursing classes have 
been given for women. 



24 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES 

Auditorium Events 

The Social Center is tlie logical place for conventions, 
lectures, dramatic performances, and educational work of a 
public nature. Hardly a week passes without a lecture or 
public discussion of some sort in the auditorium or lecture 
room. The Red Cross, the Associated Charities, the Women's 
Club, the University Club, the High School, the Social Center 
and other public and private organizations all co-operate to 
keep the community informed on the important topics of the 
day. The Polish and Italians frequently hold large public 
meetings and invite prominent men to discuss subjects of 
particular interest to them. Art Exhibits and Better Homes 
Exhibits are held, and some of the best musical and dramatic 
talent in the country is engaged. 

However, the community does not have to depend en- 
tirely on professional entertainers, for it is rich in dramatic 
and musical talent. The fact that so many races are repre- 
sented makes posible great variety in the form and character 
of "home talent" entertainments. The Poles, especially, are 
interested in dramatics and usually three or more plays in 
the Polish language are given annually in the auditorium. 

Community singing is quite popular and several success- 
ful "sings" have been held. There are two choral clubs which 
meet at the Social Center, tlic CommuniLy Chorus and the 
Polish National Alliance Chorus. Associated with the Com- 
munity Chorus is the Comnumity Orchestra. These organi- 
zations have done much in a musical way for the community. 

Dances and Parties 
Since the addition of llie Reception Room, the Social 
Center has become a Social Center in the fullest sense of the 
word. The demand for this room is constantly increasing 
and almost nightly it is the scene of a dance or party of some 
sort. In fact the Reception Room bids fair to rival the 
gymnasium in popularit^^ The small rental fee makes it 
possible for people of all classes to use the room, and this 
fact has had much to do with its popularity. While dances 
have not been conducted by the Center itself, nevertheless 
they are carefully supervised and a chaperon acceptable to 
the Director must be present. Parties are very often made 
up with the understanding that each person shall pay his 
part of the expense of the music and refreshments. When 
a group wishes to hold a larger dance, the gymnasium is used. 
There is sufficient dancing space in the gymnasium to accom- 
modate over one hundred couples, while the dancing floor of 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 25 

the Reception Room cannot accommodate more than fifty 
couples. 

Clubs 

A large number of clubs of varied kinds and purposes 
are associated with the Social Center, and make use of its 
meeting rooms. One of the most important of these is the 
Women's Club, which holds a number of its more important 
meetings and programs at the Social Center. The Mothers' 
Club is organized for social, gymnastic and educational work; 
it holds weekly meetings in the reception room. The Uni- 
versity Club is an organization of the college people of the 
three cities, the object of which is to promote civic better- 
ment. The High School Alumni Association uses the Social 
Center facilities for most of its activities which are mainly 
of an athletic and social nature. The Polish Falcons is an 
athletic and military organization of Polish men, who hold 
periodic meetings in the gymnasim. Three troops of Boy 
Scouts make use of the Social Center; these do not include the 
Polish Boy Scouts, not affiliated with the nationar organiza- 
tion, who have now become the American Boys' Club. There 
are twelve young men's and boys' Social Center clubs organ- 
ized for social and athletic purposes. Many other clubs make 
their headquarters at the Social Center and are dependent on 
it for athletics. Boys' and 3^oung men's clubs have always 
been successful and there is an unusual interest in clubs par- 
ticularly among boys of foreign nationalities. In most cases 
these clubs have developed from bo^^s' gangs, and this accounts 
largely for their success and permanence. And the fact, too, 
that most of the clubs have a Social Center attendant appoint- 
ed to aid them in their organization and athletics has contri- 
buted to their success. Most of these clubs are represented 
in the Junior and Men's Athletic Leagues; and in practically 
every case athletics is their interest. 

Girls' clubs in the Social Center have never been so suc- 
cessful as boys' clubs and have usually been short-lived. 

Festivals 
A Christmas festival and a May festival are given annually 
by the Social Center. The Christmas Festival is held just 
before the holidays in the gymnasium, which is appropriately 
decorated for the occasion. The lights are dimmed and a 
large tree, electrically lifhted, furnishes a brilliant background 
for the Christmas story winch is portrayed by singing, danc- 
ing and pantomime. The solo and group dancing does much 
to make the Christmas Festival the most beautiful and artistic 
of all the Social Center events. 



26 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

The Social Center and the La Salle Playground Associa- 
tion co-operate for the May Festival. This is held outdoors 
and is characterized hy the usual May-pole dances, drills and 
singing games. Usually several hundred children take pari 
in this festival. 

Reading and Quiet Games 

Even' effort is made to make the Reading Room as attrac- 
tive as possihk". The hooks and periodicals are largely of a 
popular natiu'c, and reachng is encouraged particularly among 
boys and young men. Books on gardening, poultry-raising, 
simple mechanics, accounting and various other vocational 
snl)jects are featured. The bidletin-board is used to call atten- 
tion to new l)ooks and interesting articles in the periodicals. 

Opening into the ReatUng Ruom is the Quiet Game Room, 
^^'here games such as chess, checkers and dominoes are played. 
This room is esi)ecially i)()i)ular (hiring tlic winter months. In 
order to make the games more interesting and to furnish an 
incentive to belter playing, a series of chess and checker 
tournaments are held yearly. As a result of these tourna- 
ments, many excellent phiyers have been developed. 

Playground Activities 

In June, 1921, tlic new Social Center playground was 
opened to the public. Among the activities which have been 
(]c'vek)ped and which have been pkmned for the future are: 
a baseball league for older boys, a playground baseball leagne 
for younger boys, basketball leagues for both boys and girls, 
vohey ball games, horse-shoe tournaments, track meets and 
badge tests for boys and girls, folk-dancing, singing games, 
sand play and story telling for the smaller children, and vari- 
ous games and play on the apparatus. 

Picnics and Outings 

For several years an annual picnic has been held by the 
Social Center to conclude the summer's activities. Over 
eight hundred children attended the last one. This group 
was so large and unwieldy that it was difficult to handle; and 
the cost assumed such proportions that it was necessary to 
call upon the citizens for contributions, a practice which the 
Social Center is trying to discontinue. On this account the 
annual picnic has now been discontinued in favor of small 
picnics and outings, self-financed. Many of these small picnics 
are held during the summer, the size of the groups varying 
from fifteen to fifty. These are much easier to handle and 
are more enjoyed by the children. 




KITE MAKING 




A SOCIAL CENTER PICNIC 



28 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

Community Gardening 
The war necessitated many changes in the activities of the 
Social Center. In addition to the First Aid and Home Nurs- 
ing classes, a course in raido telegraphy was organized and a 
room equipped for this purpose. Classes in mathematics were 
also held for young men who were preparing for the S. A. T. 
C. Community Gardening was undertaken by the High 
School Agricultural Department in co-operation with the 
ininois Valley Manufacturers Club and the La Salle Chamber 
of Commerce. This is the only war activity that has survived. 
The work has been so successful that plans have been made to 
make it a permanent activity of the community. In a single 
year as many as one hundred seventj^-seven families have 
worked community gardens, cultivating in all over thirty-five 
acres of land, and producing $5,000 worth of vegetables. 

Public Hygiene 
The hygienic work is, of course, under the direction of the 
Hygienic Institute, but the Social Center co-operates in every 
way possible. A series of home nursing classes was held at 
the Social Center under the direction of trained nurses. First 
Aid classes under the direction of trained men from the local 
Mine Rescue Station and the Director of the Hygienic Insti- 
tute are held. Frequent lectures are given on health and 
social hygiene topics; exhibits borrowed from the State Board 
of Health are shown, and government health pamphlets are 
distributed. Indeed every effort is being made to aid the gov- 
ernment in its social hygiene campaign. 

ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES 

During the Fall and Winter most of the athletic activities 
center around the gymnasium. On school days the gymnas- 
ium is used from 9:00 to 3:30 for high school gymnasium 
classes, and the remainder of the afternoons is for the most 
part turned over to high school activities. At night the 
gymnasium is used entirely by the Social Center. Monday is 
women's night; the rest of the evenings Avith the exception 
of Sunday and sometimes Saturday are taken up by 
men and older boys. Each evening, except game evenings, 
is divided into three periods: 7:00 to 8:00, 8:00 to 9:00, and 
9:00 to 10:00. Hours are assigned to different groups, who 
have exclusive use of the g>^mnasium for that hour. Saturdays 
are devoted entirely to grade school boys and girls, the boys 
having the mornings and the girls the afternoons. 

In summer the gymnasium is partly closed, and prac- 
tically all the athletic activities of the Social Center are con- 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 29 



ducted on the Athletic Field and Playground. The Athletic 
Field is used by the men and older boys and the Playground 
is reserved for the girls and younger boys. In the fall the 
Athletic Field is used for high school and independent foot- 
ball teams' practice and games. In the spring it is used for 
high school and grade school track and field events. 

Men's Athletic Activities 

Men's Indoor Baseball League 
One of the most popular games at the Social Center is 
indoor baseball. Every fall three indoor baseball leagues are 
formed; one for men, one for youths between the ages of 13 
and 17 years who belong to Social Center Clubs, and a third 
for grade school boys. The most important of these is the 
men's league. It usually consists of eight teams representing 
industries, athletic clubs, and local organizations more or less 
permanently organized. Usually more than eight teams de- 
sire to enter the league and a series of games is played to 
eliminate all but the eight strongest teams. Early in Septem- 
ber each team is given a weekly practice hour in the gymnas- 
ium, and the regular schedule is opened early in October. 
Two games are played every Tuesday and Thursday evening, 
this enables all eight teams to play one game each week. A 
small admission fee of ten or fifteen cents is charged to cover 
the cost of baseballs and bats, paying umpires, buying a trophy 
for the championship team, and other expenses of the league. 
The games are well attended, for each team has a host of sup- 
porters who never fail to show their enthusiasm. These 
annual leagues have developed some very good indoor base- 
ball players, and each succeeding year the games are better 
and more closely contested. In addition to the regular league 
games a number of match games are played in the gymnasium 
between various local teams and out-of-town teams. The 
season extends up to about Christmas when basketball lakes 
its place. 

Men's Basketball League 
Judging from the number of participants in the game, 
basketball is probably the favorite sport at the Social Center. 
Every winter a men's basketball league is organized. This 
usually consists of six to eight teams made up of the best 
basketball players in the tri-cities. The league is organized 
along the same line as the indoor baseball league; three games 
are played every Tuesday evening, and a small admission fee, 
usually fifteen cents, is charged to purchase a trophy and 
cover the other expenses of the league. There are several in- 



30 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

dependent teams not conncted with the league who use the 
Social Center gymnasium for their practice and games. 
Among the more important of these are the High School 
Alunmi team and the Social Center team, representing the 
league, and the Social Center league. 

Men's Twilight Baseball League 

As an outgrowth of the Daylight Saving Law the Men's 
Twiliglit Basehall League was organized, (iames are played 
from the latter part of May to the heginning of September. 
The league usually consists of eiglil teams and games are 
played four nights each week; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 
and Friday, starting at ():15 and continuing until dusk. This 
usually gives plenty of time for a seven-inniiig game. No ad- 
mission fee is charged, but, in order to fmance the league, 
a collection is taken during eacli game, l^sually about sixty 
games are played during the season and the attendance varies 
from 350 to 2',0()(). Althougli tlie repeal of the Daylight Sav- 
ing Law considerably shortened the time for the games, the 
Social Center Twilight Leagues were so successful that there 
are this summer (1921) three men's twilight leagues in the 
tri-cities; a La Salle playground league, an Oglesby industrial 
league, and the Social Center league. 

Junior Athletic Activities 

Junior Indoor Basehall League 
The Junior Indoor Baseball League is organized at about 
the same time in the Fall as the Men's League and is usually 
made up of eight teams representing Social Center clubs. 
Three games are played everj'' week, usually on Saturday 
night. The fact that most of the boys who take part in Junior 
League events are employed during the day makes it neces- 
sary to hold their activities during the evening, Sundays and 
holidays. Each team is required to make a small deposit, a 
part of which is retained to buy a trophy for the champion- 
ship team. Admission to the games is free, and the small boys 
and supporters of the teams take advantage of this fact and 
crowd the gallery on game nights. The balls and bats used 
in this league are the old ones saved from the men's league, 
so that the expenses of the league are practically nothing. 

Junior Basketball League 

Usually about eight Social Center clubs enter teams in 

the Junior Basketball League. All boys belonging to Social 

Center clubs between the ages of 13 and 17 years are eligible 

to play in this league except boys who are members of the 



32 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

High School first team or class teams. Three games are play- 
ed every Saturday night and alternate Wednesday nights. 
As in the case of the indoor baseball league, the admission is 
free and the championship trophy is provided for in the same 
way. Basketball is so popular among the older boys that in 
order to give teams who can not take part in the regular 
league an opportunity to compete with other teams, num- 
erous match games are arranged by the Social Center, and 
at the end of the season a tournament is held. Usually about 
fifteen teams are entered, and the winning team is awarded 
an athletic banner. 

Junior Indoor Track Meet 

The Junior Indoor Track Meet is an annual event held in 
the Social Center gymnasium some evening during the last 
week in April. About seventy-five boys usually enter this 
meet. The events are as follows: 

20 yard dash. 440 yard dash. 

Standing broad jump. Shot put. 

220 yard dash. Half mile run. 

Running high jump. Tug-of-War. 

3-Lap (800 yard) Relay Race. 

Junior Outdoor Baseball League 

The Junior Outdoor Baseball League is organized in 
May and continues until late in the sumilier. The games are 
played on Matthiessen Athletic Field, and because of the 
fact that most of the boys are employed, practically all the 
games are played on Sunday. The boys of each team furnish 
their own balls, bats and gloves, so that it is not necessary 
to charge admission or take up a collection at the games. 

Junior Miscellaneous Activities 

The above leagues and meets by no means comprise all 
of the athletic activities for older boys. In the Fall when 
football is the favorite sport, a series of match games is 
held on the athletic field between different club teams, but 
no regular league is organized. 

There is also a great deal of rivalry among these clubs 
in swimming and in tennis, and many impromptu matches 
are held. 

Grade and Parochial School Activities 

The nine grade schools and seven parochial schools of 
the three cities are organized into an athletic association 



LA SALLE, PERU, Q GLESBY, ILLINOIS 33 

under the direction of the Social Center. The superintendents 
of the grade schools and the rectors of the parochial schools 
together with the Social Center Director form an advisory 
board. This board meets annually in September and at any 
other time that the Director deems advisable. There is also 
a Boys' Committee made up of one representative from each 
school to take care of minor details. This association in- 
cludes all Social Center activities for the grade and parochial 
school boys and girls of the Township. The trophies for the 
different leagues and contests, usually shields and loving cups, 
are presented by some local club, civic organization or busi- 
ness firm. A school must win these trophies three times in 
order to claim them permanently. 

Besides gymnasium and swimming classes for both boys 
and girls, the activities of this league consist of an indoor 
baseball league, a spring outdoor baseball league, athletic 
proficiency tests, swimming proficiency tests, an indoor track 
meet for boys, an indoor track meet for girls, a boys' out- 
door track meet and many other activities as the sequel will 
show. 

Boys' Indoor Baseball League 

Usually ten schools of the tri-citics enter teams in the 
boys' indoor baseball league. The season extends from tlie 
latter part of October to early Spring. Two games are played 
ever}^ Saturday morning and one on alternate Friday after- 
noons. There is no admission fee for the games of this 
league, and all are well attended by the boys and girls of the 
schools. The expenses of the league are borne by the Social 
Center. 

Boys' Outdoor Baseball League 

As soon as the indoor baseball season is over, an outdoor 
baseball league is organized. The games are all played on 
Mallliiossen Athletic Field. This league is similar to the 
indoor baseball league except that the boys of each team 
furnish their own bats, balls and gloves. The season extends 
from the latter i)art of April until school closes in .Tune. 

Boys' Indoor Track Meet 

The Boys' Indoor Track Meet is an annual event held on 
Washington's Birthday in the Social Center gymnasium. 
Usually from eight to ten schools enter teams in the meet, 
and the rivalry between the different schools is very keen. 
In order to give the smaller boys an incentive to participate 
the contestants are divided into two classes. All boys over 
4 feet 10 inches are put in Class A; and all under 4 feet 10 



34 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

inches are put in Class B. The events for both classes are as 
follows : 

20 Yard Dash. Running High Jump. 

Standing Broad Jump. Chinning Contest. 

Potato Race. 3-Lap Relay (240 yards). 

Tug-of-War. 

Five points arc allowed for first place, three for second, 
two for third and one for fourth. The school scoring the 
largest number of points is awarded the trophy, a silver loving 
cup. 

Girls' Indoor Track Meet 
The Girls' Indoor Track Meet is held annually the latter 
part of May in the Social Center gymnasium. Usually about 
eight schools enter teams. The rivalry and interest in this 
meet equals that of the boys' track meet and the gallery is 
always crowded with spectators on this occasion. The con- 
testants are divided into two classes: all girls over 4 feet 8 
inches are put in Class A, and all girls under that height are 
put in Class B. The trophy for this event is a silver loving 
cup usually presented by one of the Women's Clubs of the 
three cities. The events for both classes are as follows: 

Running High Jump. Basketball Throw (Distance). 

One Lap Race (80 yds) . Traveling Rings. 
Standing Broad Jump. Rope Climbing. 
2-Lap Relay Race (160 yards). 

Boys' Outdoor Track Meet 

An annual Boys' OuUloor Track Meet is held on Malth- 
iessen Athletic Field in the Spring, usually the first week in 
June. Practically the same number of schools enter this 
meet and the class divisions are the same as in the boys' indoor 
meet. The events are as follows: 

100 Yard Dash. 220 Yard Dash. 

Running High Jump. Standing Broad Jump. 

8-lb. Shot Put. 50 Yard' Dash. 

Half Mile Relay. 

Athletic Proficiency Tests 
Since inost boys and girls are not able to compete on 
their school teams, a set of athletic proficiency tests with gold, 
silver and bronze medals as rewards are given monthly. Dur- 
ing the summer the standard athletic tests of the Playground 
and Recreation Association of America for both boj^s and girls 
are given on the Social Center playground, with the regulation 
medals as rewards. From September to June athletic tests 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOIS 



35 



devised by the Social Center are given in the gymnasium. Any 
grade and parochial school boy or girl is eligible to compete 
in these tests. These "medal contests" enable boys and girls 
to know how they measure up in comparison with other boys 
and girls of the same age and give them an opportunity 
to note their own development from month to month. A 
result of these tests has been the appearance of home-made 
apparatus for high jumping and chinning in many backyartls 
where the boys of the neighborhood get in trim for the 
next medal contest. 

The following table indicates the standards that the boys 
must reach to win medals in the gymnasium athletic tests: 





1-Lap 




High 


Broad 


3-Lap 




Race 


Chinning 


Jump 


Jump 


Race 


Bronze . . . 


.13 sec. 


5 times 


3 ft. 4 in. 


6 ft. 


40 sec. 


Silver 


.12 sec. 


7 times 


3 ft. 8 in. 


7 ft. 


38 sec. 


Gold 


.11 sec. 


10 times 


4 ft. 2 in. 


7 ft. 9 in 


. 36 sec. 


The 


standards 


for girls are 


as follows: 




Basketball 
Throw, 




l-Lap 


High 


Broad 


Traveling 


Ten 




Race 


Jump 


Jump 


Rings 


Trials 


Bronze. . . 


.1.3 2-5 sec. 


2 ft. 8 in. 


5 ft. 6 in. 


8 


3 goals 


Silver . . . 


.12 2-5 sec. 


3 ft. 4 in. 


6 ft. 6 in. 


16 


5 goals 


Gold 


,11 2-5 sec. 


3 ft. 9 in. 


7 ft. 3 in. 


24 


7 goals 



Girls' Afternoon Classes 

Three afternoon classes are held weekly for grade and 
parochial school girls. These classes meet on Tuesday and 
Thursday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:30 o'clock, and on Satur- 
day afternoons from 2:00 to 5:00. The Tuesday afternoon 
class is for girls from the first to the fourth grades, and the 
program consists of story plays, folk dancing, singing games 
and story telling. The Thursday class includes girls from 
the fourth to the eighth grades. These girls are given calis- 
thenics and drills in addition to folk dancing, games and story 
telling. All grade and parochial school girls are welcome to 
the Saturday afternonn classes where they participate in games 
of all sorts in addition to the activities mentioned above. The 
girls of these classes take a ])r()minent part in the annual 
Social Center festivals. 

During the simimcr the program for these classes is more 
varied. Much of the time is spent outdoors, and many picnics 
and hikes arc enjoyed. At various times sewing, raffia ^vork, 
clay modelling and scra])book making have been popular with 
the smaller girls. Usually two big parties are given annually 
for these groups of girls. The attendance at the Tuesday and 
Thursday classes average about sixty, while considerably more 
attend the Saturday afternoon class. 



36 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

Women's Athletic Activities 

Soon after the opening of the Social Center swimming 
became so popular with the girls and women that it was neces- 
sary to employ a special swimming instructor for them. And 
ever since swimming has been the most attractive feature for 
women and girls. Women's gymnasium classes have also 
rapidly gained in favor. In fact women's activities have be- 
come so important that it has been necessary to turn Monday 
evenings over almost entirely to the women. On this night 
only women are allowed in the indoor swimming pool, and 
women's physical training classes are held in the gymnasium. 
The popularity of these classes is shown by the fact that more 
than 150 women are regularly enrolled. The program con- 
sists largely of Swedish gymnastics, folk dancing, and such 
games as volley ball, basketball, indoor baseball and various 
less organized games. Gymnastic work, however, is not the 
sole attraction, for these classes are also of a social nature. 
In fact many women who have not the slightest interest in 
gymnastics attend these classes in order to spend a pleasant 
evening. These women are from all walks of life and vary 
widely in age, but a very democratic spirit prevails and such 
a thing as snobbery is practically unknown. Probably the 
most enjoyable social features of the classes are the three big 
parlies which are given annually; the Hallowe'en party, the 
St. Valentine's party and the S])ring ])arty. A picnic early in 
the summer usually concludes the activities for the season. 

Swimming 

In the summer lime the large attendance at both |)ools 
indicates that swimming is the most popular Social Center 
activity. The outdoor pool is used exclusively for men and 
boys. Boys' classes are held from 9:30 to 11:30 a. m. and 
from 2:00 to 5:00 p. m.; men's classes from 5:00 to 6:00 and 
from 7:00 to 9:00 ]). m. The classes in the outdoor pool are 
an hour in length; this includes time for undressing and dress- 
ing. Foiu- life-guards and attendants, who must qualify as 
expert swimmers, are employed during the Summer for the 
outdoor pool. 

During the summer, the indoor pool is used exclusively 
by the women and girls. There are classes during the morn- 
ings, afternoons and evenings for women and girls of differ- 
ent ages. In the evenings the pool is used entirely by women, 
with the exception of one hour each week which is devoted 
to a married couples' swimming class. 

When the outdoor pool is closed in September, a re- 



38 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 

arrangement is made in the schedule so that the indoor pool 
can accommodate all. During school hours the pool is used 
for high school classes. After 3:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays 
and Fridays, the i)ool is used hy girls and women until 5:00 
o'clock. On Wednesday night from 8:00 to 9:00 a married 
couples' class has the use of the pool. Swinmiing classes for 
boys are held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, Friday 
evenings, Saturday mornings, and on Monday and Wednes- 
day afternoons from 5:00 lo 0:00. Men use I he pool on Tues- 
day and Thursday nights. 

The classes during holh Ihe sunirner :uul Ihe winter are 
always well attended, and, as a result of this intensive use 
of the pools, practically every man, woman and child who 
frequents the Social Center is able to swim. 

Swimming Proficiency Tests 

As an inducement to grealer proficiency in swimming a 
monogram of white felt composed of the letters "S. C." is 
awarded to boys who swim 200 yards and to girls and women 
who swim 60 yards. A monogram is also given to men and 
older boys who swim 200 yards in four minutes and live 
seconds. 

Swimming Meets 

Early in June a women's swinnning meet is held, with 
the married women competing against the unmarried. 
Strange as it may seem the married women usually win the 
meet. This event always draws a large crowd of spectators, 
and, to pay for the handsome monograms which are given 
as prizes and to cover other expenses, an admission fee of 
ten cents is charged. 

Late in the summer a swimming meet is held in the in- 
door pool for grade and parochial school girls, and another 
in the outdoor pool for grade and parochial school boys. The 
contestants enter the meets as individuals and not as repre- 
sentatives of their schools. There are always a large number 
of entries and some fine records are made. Point winners 
are awarded appropriate monograms. 

An especially interesting feature of the children's swim- 
ming is the numlDcr of little girls who dive. The fearlessness 
with which the^^ do all sorts of fancy dives and their ease and 
confidence while in the pool are a remarkable sight to those 
adults who are not at home in the water. 

The Shower Baths 
On account of the great popularity of the swimming 
pools tlie importance of the shower baths is apt to be lost 



LA SALLE, PERU, OGLESBY, ILLINOI S 39 

sight of. There is always an abundance of warm water, and 
large numbers of j)eople, both grown-ups and children, lack- 
ing other bathing facilities, depend entirely on the Social 
Center showers for baths. During the influenza epidemic 
and later at the time of the coal miners' strike, it was neces- 
sary to close the Center for several weeks; and, when it v/as 
reopened, the appearance of many of the small boys who 
came to swim showed plainly how dependent they were on 
the Center for their baths. Soap was distributed and it was 
a most amusing sight to see these boys trying to get tliem- 
selves clean enough to satisfy the swimming pool attendant. 

Tennis 

In the past tennis has not been a popular game in the 
tri-cities, but owing largely to efforts on the part of the Social 
Center, its popularity is rapidly increasing, and, during the 
summer there is a great demand for the courts. Even bare- 
footed boys are taking up the game and some exciting matches 
are played with home-made wooden paddles and rubber balls 
from the variety store. In order further to stimulate interest 
in tennis two annual tournaments are held, one for high school 
students in the Spring, and another in mid-summmer for 
adults. Every year there are a larger number of contestants, 
and the playing is of a superior type with each succeeding 
tourney. The most coveted trophy is that of the men's singles, 
a beautiful silver loving cup presented by the Western Clock 
Co. This cup must be won three times to become the property 
of the winner. 

J. WYATT MARKS. 



40 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



Attendance 

The Social Cenlcr Direclor issues monthly and annually 
altendance reports which indicate the attendance according 
to age, sex, group and activity. These reports arc compiled 
from estimates filed twice daily l)y niend)ers of the staff in 
charge of the diticrent activities. 

The following statistics are oil'ered to show the extent to 
which the Social Center is used by the community, and to 
indicate the seasonal variations from month to month. 

Total attendance for year (1920) 206,072 

Average monthly attendance (12 months) 17,173 

Average daily attendance {'SASi days) 592 

Total number of men 22,496 

Total number of women 15,255 

Total number of boys 61,944 

Total number of girls 41,871 

Total mixed juvenile attendance 10,568 

Total adult and juvenile attendance 38,575 

Total mixed adult attendance 15,363 

Total number of groups 5,320 

Average number of groups per month 444 

Average number of groups per day 15 

Attendance by Months 

January 13,760 July 22,371 

February 14,746 August 18,724 

March 15,464 September 9,468 

April 15,027 October 18,321 

May 19,625 November 19,564 

June 19,552 December 19,450 



42 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



BUILDING A CIVIC CENTER AROUND A TRI-CITY 
HIGH SCHOOL. 



BY GRAHAM TAYLOR.* 



A Tribute to Mr. F. W. Matthiessen. 



What a high school may be to a town is being more broadly under- 
stood and more widely discovered. But real inventive genius was required 
to create a civic center for three cities arounJ one high school. This could 
be done for La Salle. Peru and Oglesby, 111., because the three munici- 
palities are all included within the six square miles which constitute one 
of those "congressional townships" into which the United States survey 
divides each section of land, and because Illinois law authorizes a high 
Bchool board to levy taxes upon and for a congressional township. 

The natural rivalry between towns growing up sepai'ately so close 
together long delayed that co-operation through which each of them 
could only hope for modern equipment and service. Thei-e was ona 
citizen, however, who had groAvn up with the towns whose democratic 
hope for united action to promote the public welfare was undaunted. 
[This man was Mr. F. W. Matthiessen.] He had come to America in 
18.53 at eighteen years of age from Schleswig-Holstein to investigate 
mineral resources with a view to their development. Returning to Ger- 
many, he devoted three years to courses in metallurgy and mining at the 
Technical School of Freiberg, where he met his future partner and life- 
long associate in business, the late E. C. Hegeler, who developed in- 
ventive genius and masterful yet democratic management. 

After another year's study at Heildelberg, the two young students In 
1857 located at this point in Illinois because it was the nearest reliable 
coal deposit to the Wisconsin zinc ore fields and had available transporta- 
tion facilities and possibilities by water and rail. Here they planted the 
]\Iatthiessen-Hegeler Zinc Works and with their scientific equipment, 
thus patiently and thoroughly acquired, they laid siege to nature in 
planning and developing their half century's Avork together. Their great 
success was achieved, not by any "luck" or speculative chance, but by 
foresight, which was even more scientific than prophetic. They knew 
what could be done with tlie natural resources, the rare combination of 
which prompted the designation of this region as "nature's demonstrating 
plant." Whoever thus designated it calls attention to nature's "wonder- 
ful foresight in using as a foundation a deposit of stone, which should 
remain untouched for thousands of years, while on and over this founda- 
tion she prepared those things which would in turn draw to this spot men 
who would develop her various forms of Avealth, including this very foun- 
dation itself." 

Cropping out at the surface alongside the veins of coal are the deep 
underlying rocks supplying material for three great Portland cement 
works and also for the manufacture of glass. These quarries furnish 
labor for 750 men and produce annually 4,639,396 barrels of cement. The 
coal deposits have developed 21 coal mines noAV supporting 7,544 mine 

♦Reprinted with permission from The Survey for October 17, 1914. 




THE HYGIENIC INSTITUTE 



44 A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL CENTER 



workmen and their families. Including three zinc plants these industries 
and the rich soil productive of the staple crops valued annually at $12,- 
000,000, support within a radius of ten miles a population ot 55,000, very 
cosmopolitan in birth and language. Waterways and hydraulic power 
were supplied by the Illinois River and the Illinois and Michigan Canal. 
Steam and electric railways connect this industrial garden of the gods 
with the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley. 

The work of this pioneer captain of industry was from first to last 
for others as much as for self, for the whole community even more than 
for his family. Well aware of what he owed to education, Mr. Matthiea- 
sen coveted for his fellow workers and townsfolk the best schools avail- 
able. After the grade schools were well established, he first suggested a 
township high school for the three cities. When the bond issue for it 
was voted down, because of the rivalry of the three cities, he quietly and 
uncomplainingly awaited the next opportunity to suggest and support the 
proposition again, telling his neighbors that "the children should not 
suffer for any failure of their elders." In 1898 their parents thought so 
too and voted to erect the La Salle-Peru Township High School. Five 
years later Mrs. F. W. Matthiessen erected a Manual Training and 
Domestic Science Building. Both are finely equipped with every mod- 
ern appliance from a physics laboratory to all the apparatus of a practical 
agricultural department, from a forge and lathe to a gas stove and a 
needle, from microscopes and dissecting instruments for biology to an 
art studio and a fine collection of pictures and statues which overflow 
the museum upon the school room walls and into the hallways. An 
assembly hall seating 600 people, modeled after the Little Theatre in 
New York city, is shared with the community. 

Loving nature, the family have always let their fellow townsfolk 
share the rest and recreation which they have had in their beautiful Deer 
Park, surrounding the summer homestead outlying the towns. In re- 
sponse to the inviting forest, the cool canyon, within whose rock-wall 
corral the Indians rounded up the deer, and the charming vistas of lawns 
and harvest fields, a great multitude from near and far resort for their 
evening or week-end outings. The 2,200 or more employes of the zinc 
and clock works, and many more thousands who work in the mines and 
plants of other employers have ever been held in mind. To bring recrea- 
tion nearer home all the year around to these hard workers and their chil- 
dren a $75,000 building for a social center was recently erected and deeded 
to the high school trustees. Its design was taken from the Great Lakes 
Naval Station building. 

Attached to the main school building by a covered passage, it con- 
tains a spacious gymnasium, which is also used for large assemblies. 
Shower baths and swimming pools, library and reading facilities, * * * * 
* * * * rooms for classes and clubs, for music and art, are on 
a generous scale. Away from this recreation center, and perhaps the 
most important part of it. stretch the twelve acres of land, awaiting the 
development of its fine possibilities for a playfield and an open air 
amphitheater. 

To this civic center group has recently been added the most original 
and far-reaching agency of all— the Hygienic Institute. The health 
offices of the three cities had been only what the average town provides, 
which was far below the standard of community service set by the high 
school and its annexed agencies. Again the veteran promoter of public 
welfare proved adequate to the possibilities. His past experience as 
mayor of his town demonstrated the need and difficulty of combining the 
three cities in close co-operation to promote public health among an 
immigrant and shifting population increasingly in need of sanitary safe- 
guards. The only legal provision was for a health officer in each city. 

To increase the facilities for their service beyond the resources at 
the command of any of the cities, he established the Hygienic Institute 
alongside the high school, equipped with a bacteriological laboratory, a 
specialized library on medical and sanitary subjects, and a small staff 



46 A HIGH SCHOOL S OCIAL CENTER 

of experts. Then he offered to furnish the salaries of the health officers of 
the three cities on condition that they should be appointed on the nomina.- 
tion of the director of the Hygienic Institute and should work in co-opera- 
tion under his direction. This offer was accepted, and now one tri-city 
department of health serves the entire township. . . . School nurses 
and the local health officers visit the schools once a week to inspect the 
pupils for contagious or infectious diseases. Milk and food supplies are 
tested. Dairy herds and plants are kept under surveillance. Stagnant 
water is drained off. Drains and toilets are inspected. Sanitary police 
officers safeguard the streets and alleys. Physicians and druggists are 
supplied with tubes and smears, with directions for taking cultures in 
cases suspect 3d of diphtheria, typhoid fever and tuberculosis. The re- 
sults of labors tory tests are returned promptly to physicians. Posters and 
leaflets are circulated, containing "hints on fly extermination," and other 
sanitary instructions. 

A fifth co-operating agency in this remarkable affiliation of volunteer 
and public institutions is the Infant Welfare Station, founded as a mem- 
orial to Emma Matthiessen Chancellor. 

All these undertakings have been attempted and achieved in private 
co-operation with and under the final authority of the public administra- 
tion of the township high school and the city councils. 

The federal Bureau of Education has signalized this achievement as 
uniquely significant, by telling the story of it in Rural School Letter 
Number 21, under the title, A Township Community Center in Illinois. 
To realize all it means, however, one must not only read about it, but 
Bee it in action and talk with the people who got together to make it a 
reality. To sense it all one must feel the atmospheric pressure of the 
presence and personality of that silent, single-minded, simple-hearted man 
who exemplifies the democracy of wealth. 

As much as, it" not more tnan, any other man he is rounding out what 
Prof. Charles S. Nash terms "the mighty day's work" of democracy, "to 
face all that is disagreeable and problematic in democracy, concealing 
nothing, blinking nothing away, and at the same Mmc to keep the will 
strong and temperate, so that its edge will never turn; to meet all social 
obligations properly, to pay all political debts joyously, never to throw 
a glance over the shoulder to the monastery." 



